Eyecup



July 4, 1944.l Y s, T, BIONlLLA 2.352,61()

EYE CUP Filed Aug. 4, 1941- INVENTom' w .wmwwzzo/wfzx, BY:

v A/orheil,

Patented July 4,` 1944 UNITED y STAT-Es PATE-NST OFFICE; g

' I I 2,352,610 V Y EYECUP Saturnino Tof Bonilla, New York, N. Application August 4, 1941, Serial No. 405,394

(Cl. 12S-249) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to eye cups and more particularly to a cup in which means is provided for effectively removing foreign matter from the eye of a person, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is the cardinal object of the invention to provide an eye cup having a three-fold use, namely, one which may be used to merely rinse the eye; to project a spray of water to the eye; or to create a suction action so as to withdraw water or cleansing fluids which were previously injected into the eye, thereby removing any foreign matter.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an eye cup of extreme simplicity in m-anufacture, the parts being detachably related for cleansing purposes.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of the eye cup,

Figure 2. is a longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a stopper-valve device employed in the cup,

Figure 4 is a similar view of a further valve of the device,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device,

Figure 6 is a vertical section of a modied form of the device.

There is illustrated an eye cup gener-ally indicated by the reference character I0, consisting of a cup body II of usual exterior contour and construction as found in eye cups now on the market adapted to snugly seat in the socket of an eye. 'I'he base of the cup, however, is formed With a projected shank I2 having a substantial, central opening I3 and upon the exterior of the shank, there is a rabbet as at I4 for a purpose now to be explained.

A collapsibleV bulb I5 is provided, open at the ends, one of which is engaged and frictionally seated Within the rabbet I4 of the shank, and in the other end a valve cage I6 is engaged.

The valve cage IE is provided with an axial port I1, forming communication for passage of air to the interior of the bul-b. Upon the inner end of the ca-ge I'B a flap valve I8 is secured, the latter being provided with sm-all projections I9 maintaining the valve in spaced relation with respect to the port I1.

A stopper-valve 20 is adapted to be positioned Within the opening I3, and in the present in- IIl stance is shown as having an axial port 2| within which the stem 22 is reciprocably mounted. The stem 22 is provided with flat heads 24 adapted to retain the stem in the port 2|. The stopper valve 20 is provided with a flap valve 23 adapted to be unseated upon compression of the bulb I5, as will be explained.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the following description. When the eye cup is used for rinsing the eye, the cup is partly lled with water and adjusted to the socket of the eye as is customary. However, where it is desired to project a spray of cleansing fluid around the eyeball, pressure is exerted on the bulb so as to collapse it, which will cause upward movement of the flap valve 23, air being drawn inwardly through the port I1 at the base of the bulb. Air will pass upwardly through the port 2| of the stopper valve 20 and through the liquid in the cup II in the form of bubbles which pass into and around the eye, effecting a cleansing action. When pressure is released upon the bulb, the valve ZIJ will close the port 2 I so that a suction action will not be created upon the eye.

Where foreign matter may have gained access A to the eye a vacuous action is desirable to dislodge and withdraw such matter. In such a situation the stopper-valve 20 is removed from the cup, and the bulb and -cup lled with liquid to approximately one-fourth of the capacity of the cup. A iinger is now placed over the port I1 and the bulb compressed tol deliver the liquid to the eye. Expansion of the bulb, upon release of pressure, will create a suction upon the liquid, drawing it back into the bulb, and since the liquid was forced 4gently in and around the eyeball, the foreign matter will be withdrawn with the liquid. The operation may be repeated as desired.

The stem 22 of the valve is of such length as to be readily grasped for removing the stopper 20, as is required for cleansing and otherwise.

The eye ycup and bulb has been described as formed as separable elements, but obviously the parts can vbe formed as an integral structure, as shown in Figure 6. In this instance, the cup and compressible bulb are shown as formed of rubber as a unit-ary device and, since the structure is otherwise the same as previously described, corresponding parts have been designated by primed reference characters.

While I have specically shown and described my construction of eye cup, this is by way of i1- lustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in structure as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An eye-cup comprising a cup body having a port opening upon the cup body, a stopper seated -within said port for closing the port, said stopper having a valve therein operable to ad mit air to said cup, said stopper being removable through the upper open end of the cup body, and Y an open-ended collapsible bulb having one end l0 secured tothe port of the cup body, and the other end having a removable air intake valve.

2. An eye-cup comprising a cup body havin-g v secured Within the rabbet and the other end having a removable air inlet valve.

SATURNINO TOFE BONILLA. 

